Hawaiian Airlines turns 82

Hawaiian Airlines celebrated its 82nd year of continuous air transportation in the Islands on Nov. 11.

Inter-Island Airways, renamed Hawaiian Airlines in 1941, flew its first flight on Nov. 11, 1929, introducing service between the islands with two eight-passenger Sikorsky S-38 amphibian biplanes. The company transported 10,000 passengers during its first year of operation.

Today, Hawaiian operates a fleet of 36 aircraft and employs more than 4,000 people. Offering more than 150 flights daily, the airline transported 8.4 million travelers in 2010 and expects to exceed that this year.

Hawaiian debuted nonstop service to Tokyo, Seoul, and Osaka in 2011, adding more than 250,000 air seats to the Aloha State annually and an estimated $350 million in visitor spending.